Utah State basketball: What will Stew do without Pooh?

LOGAN — Pooh Williams, statistically speaking, was not one of the star players in the Western Athletic Conference.

Stew Morrill, on the other hand, has a deep appreciation for the player his Utah State basketball team will be forced to play without for a few weeks.

"To not have Pooh out there, just the experience and the knowledge of the system he has," Morrill said, "that makes it tough. We're playing guys in the positions we aren't used to playing."

Williams, who had a screw placed in a 'pre-stress fracture' a couple of weeks ago, is still on the mend and not practicing with the team. The 6-foot-3 junior from Federal Way, Washington started 31 games for the Aggies a year ago and was considered the top perimeter defender on the team.

And though he will be back before the season gets too terribly deep into the schedule, his absence has created dilemmas for Morrill as he tries to plug the hole.

It could mean playing Tyler Newbold, Tai Wesley or Brady Jardine slightly out of position for stretches or it could mean pulling a redshirt off a new recruit — something Morrill said he hesitates to do because only a few minutes per game for a few games can hinder a players progress rather than allow him to develop properly.

Saturday the Aggies held a scrimmage and Morrill tried to see who fits into Williams' spot best.

"We're playing Tai Wesley at the 3," Morrill said, "and Tai is not a 3. On offense, he can handle it, but he's not quick enough on defense to play the 3. So we'll have to see how that goes."

A more likely option is moving Newbold from the 2 to the 3 spot — where he and Williams were almost interchangeable last year — and giving Salt Lake Community College transfer Brian Green minutes at shooting guard.

"It's a good opportunity for me to come in and get better," Green said Saturday after the scrimmage. "There's not really any pressure because we've got a good team that's pretty deep. I'm just trying to work hard now that the spot's open."

Green is a junior and can shoot the ball well. He's being pushed for time at the position by freshmen Tyrone White (6-6) and Preston Medlin (6-4) and Morrill said he'd prefer to let both redshirt but may not have that luxury.

"Right now," White, who played at Air Force Prep Academy following high school in Portland, Oregon, said, "every day is a learning experience ... You've got to be a sponge and soak up everything you can."

Williams, meanwhile, observes and tries to contribute off the court until his foot heals.

"Pooh is like a brother to me," White said. "Every play I'm out he's in my ear telling me what I need to do and how I can get better."

The Aggies, who return four starters — counting Williams — from last year's 30-5 team, open their season this Friday with an exhibition game against Northwest Nazarene.

The contest represents an opportunity for Morrill to experiment with the lineup a little bit before he makes any firm decisions on redshirt candidates.

"We have to be ready for stuff like this," he said. "And our young guys have to play. We really don't have a choice on that."

e-mail: jeborn@desnews.com